The Elle TENS Pluswith a built-in contraction timer has been designed specifically for use in labour. It is an excellent, drug-free method of pain relief that is widely accepted by Obstetricians, Doctors, Midwives & hospitals. TENS units have been used by labouring women throughout Europe for over 20 years and have been rapidly growing in popularity here in Canada and the US!

“Research has shown that many women would choose to use a TENS unit for the second labour after using one the first time”

TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It works in two ways; the TENS unit sends mild electrical impulses via electrode pads that are placed on the low back through the skin to the nerve fibres below. These impulses stimulate your body’s ability to produce its own natural pain killing endorphins which help to combat the discomforts of labour. In addition to helping your body produce endorphins, it also works by blocking out the pain signals that are being sent to the brain, this is known as the Gate Control Theory of Pain.

Using the Elle TENS Plus for Pain Management Before and During Labour

The TENS unit will be sent out to you or you can arrange pickup once you reach the 37th week of your pregnancy. It can safely be used from then on for relief of backache, pelvic and hip pain or any other pregnancy related discomforts. Please see the included manual and guide for suggested positioning of the electrodes depending on your specific needs.

Once labour begins the electrodes should be placed on the mid and lower back as illustrated here:

Set the unit to BIRTH mode. In BIRTH mode you will have two running modes; “Burst” mode for use between contractions and “Boost” mode, a more intense pulsing for use during contractions. Boost mode doubles as the built in contraction timer so you don’t even have to think about tracking your contractions!

You can control the intensity of the impulses on two separate channel; one to your mid-back and one to your low-back. As labour progresses if you feel you need more powerful impulses you can also adjust the level of pulse power. Please read through the instruction manual prior to your labour beginning so you are aware of how to make these adjustments.

Watch this short video to better understand how TENS works and can be of benefit to you in labour.

Stimulating Labour with TENS

It may be possible to stimulate labour by placing the electrodes on the nipples or pressure points which are known to encourage active contractions and by applying a low-level current to the area. This technique can be employed in an attempt to encourage labour to begin or during labour if contractions have slowed or labour has stalled. Please note, this technique should only be used to begin labour in 40+ week pregnancies when there is a need to encourage labour in hopes of avoiding medical induction.

Please visit these links for more information about stimulating labour with a TENS unit: